One Week is All It Takes
by starrily-night
Summary: One week. That's a lot of time for two partners to realise what they mean to each other. Rated T for later chapters. I changed my mind about the final chapter being rated M. Sorry!
1. Day 1

Day 1

He helps her home, one arm around his shoulders. "I still don't understand it." she grumbled. "I was doing fine. How could I have sprained my ankle?"

"You slipped in a puddle of the murderer's blood." He tries to give her a cocky grin, but he can still hear the two gunshots that he thought the murderer had fired. But he'd been wrong. It had still scared him to death. She'd been on the ground in a very scary pool of blood. He'd thought it had been hers, until he'd seen the murderer's body, twitching in a corner.

He helps her through the door until she crashes on the couch. "Oh." she says softly, then looks up at him. "Are you hungry?"

A wry smile plays on his lips. "Yeah. What's to eat?"

"There's leftover Chinese in the fridge that you could heat up." she responds, swiching on the TV.

He returns fifteen minutes later with the food and they sit down to watch TV together. After a while she switches the TV off. "Thank you, Tony." she says softly. "For bringing me home. And staying there with me, even when you knew there was a large possibility the man had escaped." She bites her lower lip before leaning up to kiss him on the cheek and limping into her room. Before she enters she turns around. "Don't forget your key." She points to the dresser and leaves, the door closing only a crack.

He stands there like an idiot as she showers and gets ready for bed. The moment he hears her soft snores he slips into her room and sits on the end of her bed, simply watching her.

Ziva knows he is there. She hadn't been asleep after all, but quickly drifted off once she realised he was watching her.

She has a nightmare, a terrifying dream where she wakes up in a sweat. Saleem had returned and was killing Tony, right in front of her. Knife wounds all over his body, and Saleem finally drove the knife straight through his heart. She could not move to stop him. She could not turn away but was forced to watch as the life bled out of Tony.

She woke up just after he took his last breath.

Tony sees the terror that overtook her in her sleep get squashed as she realises that it was all a dream. She crawls right down the bed and into Tony's waiting arms. He knows the tears are running down her face- so unlike Ziva- and knows it had to have been bad. He presses his lips to the top of her head as she slowly falls back to sleep. He gently puts her back in bed and remains at the end for the rest of the night.

He realises that he's got to figure out how to break Rule 12- and fast.

**I know it's really short. Hopefully the next few chapters will be longer!**


	2. Day 2

When Ziva wakes up the net morning, Tony is gone. She knows, even for the old him, watching someone sleep was a bit weird, but she is extremely grateful. She had to think of a way to repay him.

_You know the only way_ a voice in the back of her head informs her. And she does. She also knows that there was no way that he loves her back. They are friends, nothing more.

_Of course he loves you!_ Another voice in the back of her head yells. _Go on, ask him._

_She can't!_ The first voice argues. _Rule 12!_

She sighs at the two voices now bickering and is pleased when her ninja personality killed them both. _Ah, peace_. She smiles and goes to her car.

Tony looks up as Ziva enters. She gives him a small smile and mouths, _grazie_. He grins and nods once.

"Come on, we got a dead Marine in West Virginia." McGee announces.

"Elf Lord, why isn't Gibbs saying that?" Tony asks innocently.

"Tony. I don't play online games anymore." he snaps.

"Yes, you do."

"But... you've never..." he splutters.

"I have." Ziva mentions softly.

McGee's look changes from embarrassment to horror. "You promised!"

"I promised I would not tell Tony. I told Vance, who told Gibbs, who told Tony. They were not a part of that promise, McGee!" Ziva says, laughing softly.

McGee put his head in his hands. "Oh, god."

.

"Hey, shutterbug, how're the pictures coming?" Tony asks Ziva. She gives him a death glare, but hopes he'll see straight through (highly unlikely, Tony is the densest person she knows) and turns back to the body of the dead man.

"DiNozzo, McGee, David." Gibbs calls. "Ducky's got news."

Ziva and Tony roll their eyes at the same time. "Really." Gibbs says angrily. "It's important."

"I've seen this before." Ducky says gravely.

"Where, in a textbook?" Tony asks.

"No. Last week." Ducky says. "On a Navy SEAL. Jethro was furious of course, it was a buddy of his, but the point is we're dealing with a serial killer."

Ziva sighs. "That is exactly what I need right now." Gibbs says furiously.

.

A little later, Tony stops Gibbs on the elevator. "Um, Gibbs, I have to ask you something..."

"Not now, DiNozzo!"

"But, boss, it's important!"

"This is more important. DiNozzo, I want you and David to infiltrate this killer's base."

"What, you want us to be spies?"

"Of a sort."

Tony sighs. "Fine. I'll do it."

.

"Why are we doing this again?" Ziva grumbles. This was not how she wanted to spend her Tuesday.

"We have to find this guy and stop him. Duh!" Tony says softly.

"Very James Bond." Ziva mutters.

"Oh, you've been doing research?" Tony asks.

"Sh!" She pauses, and shoves him into a closet. "I can hear someone."

They are very close- so close their lips are barely an inch apart. It reminds Tony of the last time they infiltrated a place and they were in a tight corner like this.

"Stop breathing." she whispers.

He sighs. "I don't hear anything. I think it's safe." Without waiting for her answer, he slips out into the hallway. Sighing, she rolls her eyes and follows him.

They round a corner- and run right into their serial killer.

"Oh, that's just cheating!" Tony yells in exasperation.


	3. Day 3

And so it happens that the next morning, they are in the basement of the killer's "lair" as Tony calls it.

They both call it a prison.

The two are free to move around as they wish, but the door is made of six-inch thick steel. No way will they be getting out of there quickly.

So they both sit on the floor, in the place they were left in. Both of them are thinking about the other.

_Just my luck,_ Ziva thinks, _I am locked in a cell with Tony again, with no way out, and no courage to tell him anything!_

_God she's beautiful,_ he thinks, watching her._ I wish I could tell her how I feel, but I still haven't talked to Gibbs._

So they say nothing. Until he realises she's shivering. He remembers that it's October, when the temperature goes crazy. Yesterday was warm. Today is cold. He barely notices any more, seeing how he's lived in Long Island his whole life- there the temperature changes were even worse- but he notices that she is wearing short sleeves. He shrugs off his jacket and says, "Cold?"

She looks at him and nods. He puts the jacket around her shoulders and brings her closer. She is shocked by his warmth, but she is cold.

"Tony," she says, surprising herself, "Do you trust me?"

"Where did this come from?" His eyes betray the serious expression he wears on his face.

"I... do not know." she admits.

He hesitates. "Yes." he says finally. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." she replies softly.

They are so lost in the moment that they barely notice the killer has entered until his arm is around Ziva's neck, with a gun to her head.

Tony jumps to his feet. "Let go of her!"

The killer grins wickedly and begins to drag her away. "No!" he yells, as the door slams shut. "Damnit!" He slams his fist into the door. Ooh- bad idea.

He suddenly realises that McGee is right behind him. "Tony!" he gasps. "Where's Ziva?"

Tony looks around, eyes hollow. "Oh." McGee says. "Come on, we've got to find her." The two slip out of the- lucky for them but not so lucky for their killer- unlocked door.

"What kind of killer leaves the door locked overnight but then forgets to lock it when he separates the two people he's holding?" Tony grumbles.

They slipped into a room, at which point the killer looked around. "Ah, DiNozzo. I see you brought a friend to share your suffering." He spoke with a clipped Irish accent.

"What suffering?" Tony asked.

"Watching your girlfriend get tortured." He stepped back, revealing Ziva slumped against a chair, wrists tied.

McGee was waiting for Tony to correct the killer. Instead, he said, "What kind of killer tortures people for information? Unless... oh, that's it, isn't it! You work for Mossad!" Ziva's head came up and McGee stumbled slightly.

"But you see, that's the problem. Mossad has been after my 'girlfriend'-" he used air quotes- "for a while now. They should know by now that I don't take SHIT from anyone who tries to hurt her. I will ALWAYS come for her. You should also know..." he sighs, "Oh, I love this bit... that my boss was a sniper."

They hear the gunshot and watch as the killer slowly realises he is about to die. Then he is on the floor.

Tony runs forward to help Ziva up. Her lip is bleeding and there are slashes all up and down her arms, but to Tony, she has never looked more beautiful. He helps her up, just like he did in Somalia.

"Hey, Zi." he says to her, as he helps her out. "I know it's not Thursday, but how about a movie?"

She smiles. "We're not even out of here yet and you are already asking me for a movie?" She shakes her head. "I've got one you might know. My place, at seven." She grins wickedly. "Aren't you glad you have that key now?"

Inside, Tony groans. He hopes the movie she has in mind is something good.

.

There was no need for him to worry. When he arrives at her apartment, she is in her kitchen making popcorn and the menu of _On the Waterfront_ is playing. Inside he cheers. This movie is one of his favourites.

They settle down to watch it. As the beginning credits play, he notices that her arms are newly bandaged. No doubt Ducky stitched them up before he arrived. She snuggles closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Instinctively, his arm goes around her. He draws back a little, unsure what she'll say to the slightly intimate contact, but she gives him a look that clearly says _Go ahead._ So he replaces his arm. He suddenly realises that her body shape seems to fit into his like two pieces of a puzzle.

When Terry began his short monologue, "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." Tony found himself mouthing the words. Because it is true, at least in his case.

When he looks over at Ziva, he realises she has been watching him. "You are not a bum." she says softly.

He smiles and they do not speak for the remainder of the movie.


	4. Day 4

**Hello, my beloved readers! Or, maybe you are beloved, I don't know! Glad you've enjoyed the first three chapters. This is just a filler chapter, nothing big happens. Since I reworked everything I originally thought I would do, the story will turn out a little different than I thought... Dun dun dun... Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony finally works up the courage to ask his boss. "Um, Gibbs?"

"What, DiNozzo?" Gibbs snaps. Tony takes a step back.

"I just wanted to know if you could let me... break... one of the rules."

The atmosphere immediately changes. "Rule 12?"

"How did you guess?"

"That's the rule people always ask me permission to break. No."

"You don't even know who I'm talking about!"

"Oh, that's true. So tell me who."

"Ziva."

Gibbs is silent, and Tony waits. Finally... "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, you have permission to break Rule 12, damnit! And I'm the one who's supposed to have short-termed memory." He shakes his head. "About time too." He gives Tony a smirk and exits the Bullpen.

Tony sighs. Gibbs would eventually kill him with those sarcastic comments.

He barely notices that Ziva has entered until she taps him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Tony, you are blocking my path."

He steps smoothly to the side and she sits.

"Hey, Zi, how about a date?" The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. McGee looks up, watching the two.

"Tony, Rule 12." she says softly.

"No. I have special permission." At that, McGee drops his coffee mug. Tony leans over Ziva's desk until they are inches apart. "Come on, Ziva."

She smiles. "Tomorrow, I'll meet you at your apartment, all right?"

He smiles now. "All right." Everything will be fine.

* * *

**You see that little red word at the bottom middle of the screen? Click it!**


	5. Day 5

**Hello my faithful readers! I know this took a while but i had a bit of trouble after I posted part 3 on my other favourite website, Fanpop! Some idiot told me Michael and Cote probably had restraining orders out on me :( I told him off and have not heard from him since, but after I had a bit of trouble with inspiration, juggled with to be or not to be, and figured out how to make Tony and Ziva's first date perfect!**

Tony stands in front of his door. He hopes he isn't too underdressed. He is wearing his clothes from work, except for the shirt. He thinks the giant bloodstain from the shooting earlier that morning wouldn't going to be the best accessory of the evening. He hears a slight knock, and opens the door. "Seven on the dot. Right on time."

"As always." she comments. She slips past him. "You redecorated." she notes.

"When was the last time you were here?" Tony is confused. She gives him a death glare and he nods. "Right."

For a little while, they simply sit at opposite ends of the dining table. Finally, she sighs. "Do you want to see a movie?"

"Uh, sure. What movie?" Tony watches her. He hopes she'll pick something good.

She gives him her devil smile.

Two hours later, they exit the theater. Tony still can't stop laughing. "When she said 'No, Jacob's better!' and hit her with that shovel... that was hilarious."

"I am glad you liked it. How about a slice of pizza?" She points to the pizzeria down the block.

His mouth waters.

"How did you know this was my favorite pizza place?" Tony asked incredulously, starting on his fourth slice.

"I have my ways." She smiles as she orders the next kind of pizza on the menu.

"Are you going to try to make the whole menu tonight?" Tony asks.

"There are... twenty different types of pizza. I can eat five in one shot. Tony, I doubt I could finish the menu. If we're lucky, we'll be able to come back again and I'll be able to do this again."

"Agent Ziva David, are you asking me on a second date?" Tony asks, one eyebrow up and a mischievous look on his face.

"Maybe I am." Ziva receives a message from the local weather station. "Oh, no. We have a storm coming through."

Tony swallows, eyes wide. "How big?"

"Tornado warnings all over DC." Ziva says grimly.

"Waiter! I need a box and the check, please!" Tony stands.

They manage to make it back to Tony's apartment before the storm strikes. Furious winds pound at the windows, demanding to be let in. Rain soon furiously begins hurling hailstones the size of golf balls that steadily grow bigger. Thunder crashes and lighting strikes. It's the worst storm either of them has ever seen.

"Well that was fun." Ziva bites her lip. "I'm sorry Tony but I should go."

"Ziva, you can't. Those hailstones are huge!" When Ziva doesn't protest, he says, "You can spend the night here. I'm sure I have a t-shirt you could borrow."

"Thank you Tony." She stands in the large living room, shivering slightly as Tony returns with a big shirt, a spare toothbrush, and a bar of soap. "Here. Just be careful of the water. I keep the emergency light on in case the power goes out."

"She nods and makes her way to his bathroom. He waits for a few minutes- until the power goes out. He can hear nothing from the bathroom- no teeth brushing, not even breathing. "Zi?" he asks, going in to the bathroom slowly. "You still in here?" He turns towards the wall opposite the bathtub- and feels something heavy drop onto his shoulders.

"Oh, you are too easy to scare." Ziva says softly in his ear.

"Oh yeah?" he snarls playfully."This time, I'll hide, and let's see how much I can scare you!"

She smiles and turns away. At that Tony slips out of the room and crawls under his bed. "Ready!" he calls.

Her heels come clicking into the room. Ton reaches out and grabs her just above her heel. Ziva squeaks and Tony scurries out from under the bed. "Try and catch me!" he laughs, running out of the room.

She chases him for fifteen minutes. Twice he comes from behind and grabs her, but she nips him and he immediately lets go. "Ow!"

She laughs and he grins, then he vanishes. She hunts the house, but cannot find a trace of him. She stands just in front of the couch, confused, when suddenly something grabs her around the waist and pull her down onto the couch, flipping her over so she is on her stomach. Tony smiles, his arms locked firmly around Ziva's waist. They laugh for a while, until she realizes how handsome he looks in the dim light.

When she leans in, Tony knows it's coming and accepts the kiss eagerly. "What is it that some people say? That they knew from the first moment?" she asks him.

"Yeah?" he says.

She smiles. "I knew."

And to both of them, they've never wanted to kiss anyone else.

* * *

**Two things. One, they saw the movie Vampires Suck. Sorry to all the Twilight fans, but it was the first movie to pop into my head. Two, I made a mistake, the review button is not red, it's blue. Click it anyway please!**


	6. Day 6

**Sorry for the wait. I had a week of camp and no idea how I wanted this to go But, here it is, Day 6...

* * *

**

Tony and Ziva emerge from two different elevators, both very happy with the way their night had gone. Gibbs is glad to see that Tony has managed to bring a smile to Ziva's face. McGee is jealous- how did Tony get special permission to take Ziva out when he can't get it to rekindle his and Abby's relationship?- and Vance is simply confused as to why three of his agents look happy and one looks jealous.

The day seems to go by very quickly. Gibbs sends Tony down to the lab to get some evidence from Abby. The moment he enters Abby locks the door and grabs him.

"I have somethings to say. First, how'd it go?"

"How'd what go?"

"Your date!"

"Oh, right. Well, we saw Vampires Suck..."

"Ooh, that looked good. Twilight totally ruined vampires for me. Was it good?"

"Good? It was hilarious." Tony grins. "Going on my list of favourite movies."

"You have a list?"

"Abby, I love so many movies."

"Look, back to my questions. Two, the guy you killed earlier this week wasn't our murderer. He was just an accomplice.

"Ah, shit!"

"Anyway, look, better call Gibbs."

"I will." Before he could, his phone buzzes. "DiNozzo."

"Tony? What have you got for Gibbs? He's getting impatient."

"Oh, right. The guy he killed was just an accomplice."

Ziva repeats the message. "Son of a bitch!" he hears in the background.

"I will get McGee to search for the killer."

"All right. Love you, Ziva."

He hangs up before he can hear her response.

_Upstairs, Ziva bites her lip and smiles to herself. "Love you too." she says softly._

He turns around to find Abby is staring at him, open mouthed, a glass dish of something on the floor.

"Oh. My. God."

What?" Then it hits him. "Oh."

"Run! Go run and correct your mistake!"

"Abby, that's the thing. I don't think it was a mistake."

Abby stares at him, mouth hanging even wider. "Go! GO! Run, Forrest, run!"

"That's another good movie." Tony grins before dashing to the elevator.

Tony runs into the Bullpen. "Ziva, I-"

"She's not here." Gibbs looks up at him. "Sorry, DiNozzo."

Tony thinks that Ziva is avoiding him all day, but by the evening he is in a really bad mood.**(A/N- And when I say bad, I mean really, REALLY bad.)** He has too much paperwork and tracking to do, and he did promise Ziva a second date.

It is nearly 11:30 at night when he finishes and runs to the elevator. When it opens, he sees Ziva standing. She brushes past him, and both feel that electric spark when they touch.

He waits for her, to try to explain, to apologise, for something, anything, something to reassure him that she is not avoiding him.

They enter the elevator together. They are almost at the lobby and Tony is about to press the emergency switch when the elevator starts to rumble.

"What the-" he is cut off by a look from Ziva. "What?"

"It feels like an earthquake." she says.

"An earthquake in DC?"

"If they can have them in Haiti there can be one here!" she shoots back.

Suddenly, they are jerked to the side, a large bit of something falls on Ziva, knocking her on top of Tony and both of them down, and they both see black.

* * *

**DUH DUH DUHHHHH! Please review, it totally makes my day!**


	7. Day 7, Part 1

**I thought I'd take a moment to answer a reader review. Just one, because this is a question that you probably all are asking.**

**xoxocaroline, this IS NOT the last chapter. Well, it's the second to last chapter of this story, but I've decided to write a sequel, about the most important events of Tony and Ziva's first year together as a couple. There will be a lot of awesome things going on, so stay tuned for One Year to Truly Know! Yes that will be the title.  
**

* * *

When they wake up, Ziva is lying on top of Tony, with something heavy across her middle. "Ow." she says softly.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I think so." She rubs the back of her head.

"Ziva, I smell blood."

"Yes, but not from me." Her head turns to one side, and she gasps. "Tony!"

He follows her gaze. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? Tony, that is enough blood to feed half a dozen vampires for weeks."

"Are you going Goth?" He licks his lips, she can hear it. "I like it."

Her head turns slowly to the other side as his does, and her breath catches in her throat.

Their lips are inches from each others.

She leans down and kisses him. Despite the situation they are in, it deepens into passion, lust.

He moans and tries to push the fallen debris off of them. He wants her so much he no longer cares about their predicament. But it refuses to budge. "Damnit!" he swears

Her phone begins to ring. "David." she answers.

"Ziva!" McGee. "Where are you?"

"Elevator."

"Is Tony with you?"

"Damnit, McGeek, forget all that and get us out of here!" Tony groans slightly at the end.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Ziva covers up the end of her phone.

"Nothing! Zi, nothing is wrong. Don't worry."

"McGee, get here soon, Tony's lost blood."

"And Ziva made a vampire reference." Tony tilts his head back.

"Oh, Zi! You made a vampire reference?" Abby took the phone. "I'm so proud."

"Abby, there will be time for congratulations later. Just get us out before Tony dies of blood loss!"

"Okay, okay. Bye, Ziva." The phone clicked.

"Tony, I swear, you're going to pass out. You need to apply pressure to that wound."

He does not answer.

"Tony?" She looks down at him. His eyes are shut and his chest only rising and falling faintly. "TONY!" she yells desperately. She rips her jacket off and presses it to his side, all the while gulping back tears. "Come on, Tony. Please. I need you. I can't live without you. Don't die on me, please!" In a last act of desperation, she yells, "I haven't even told you I love you yet!"

One of Tony's eyes opens, very slightly. "You do?"

"Yes. And I always have." Now she lets tears go.

"Good." His eye closed again, but he does not slip into unconsciousness. "Zi?"

"Yes?"

"Couldn't live without you. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do." Ziva wills him to keep talking, because if he passes out now there may be no way to save his life. Just then, her phone rings. "David, now what's so damn important?"

"The rescue team is coming down the elevator shaft as we speak, and there's an ambulance waiting for Tony. Hold on. We're almost there."

"Thank you, McGee." Ziva hangs up and clasps Tony's hand. "They're coming."

"Zi?"

"Yes, Tony?"

"There's a lot of things I thought... I have to say before I..."

"Don't talk like that!"

"Zi, it's inevitable now. They won't get in for another half hour at most, and by then I'll be beyond repair. Zi..."

They could hear the saws begin to cut into the top of the elevator, but Tony ignored them. "Zi, you're beautiful. Probably the most beautiful girl I've met." He laughs shortly. "You are professional, independent, intelligent, successful, and can beat most boys in a fight, which is pretty damn sexy. You are my miss Right." He paused for air. "I'm glad I found her. Finally. And I'm glad she was you. My ninja." He smiles weakly at her as the saws stop.

"Half an hour, my foot." Ziva smiles at Tony as the rescue team drops through the ceiling of the elevator, cuts through the debris, and as they gingerly hold Tony to bring him to the ambulance.

Ziva holds his hand until the last possible second. She stops smiling. "Hold on, Tony. I couldn't live without you if I tried."

* * *

**Ooh, another cliffie! Looks like this isn't the last chapter! Before you all start on me, I know Ziva's pretty OOC here, but she really was freaking out. Please review, it makes my day!**


	8. Day 7, Part 2

**This is it, guys! Oh, and by the way- Tony didn't just call Ziva back and explain because a) it wouldn't have worked for the story, and b) he panicked, and you don't act smart when you panic. All right, enjoy!**

* * *

Ziva sits, her hands folded, in the waiting room of the hospital. Although the doctors told her Tony would be fine, she wants to make sure for herself. It was a deep cut and he did lose a lot of blood.

The doctors all file out- one actually looked like the vampire Doctor from Twilight, whatever his name was- and one of them stops and holds the door.

Ziva pushes past the remaining doctors and pulls up a chair. Tony is still extremely pale, but his blue eyes are open and watching the nurse at the foot of the bed with something in his eyes.

Ziva smiles and presses a lingering kiss to the edge of his jaw. He glances around and smiles. "Glad to see you got out in one piece." he says, grinning at her.

"When will you be released?" Ziva asks.

"Soon, I hope." Tony licks his lips. "I get an adrenaline rush every time I look at you, making these monitors go crazy." His head tilts towards the monitors.

The nurses enter and begin checking Tony's vitals. "All right, Mr. DiNozzo, you were very lucky there." The doctor entered. "A large piece of wood was in your side and caused all this, but it didn't hit anything too major, you just lost a lot of blood."

"So, what, am I good to go?" Tony asks eagerly.

The doctor smiles. "Yes, you are." He removes the tubes and needles and directs Tony to his clothes. Ziva suppresses a shaky laugh. Tony is all right. Everything will be fine.

* * *

When they get back to her apartment, they simply stand there and stare at each other. Finally, Tony breaks the silence. "Zi, about yesterday,when I told you I loved you, I-"

"Don't explain." Ziva says softly. "I love you too."

They stand there for another long moment until she pulls him in for a kiss. It deepens into more passion and lust than they have ever felt for anyone, even the one time undercover when it was real. She pushes him into her room and onto her bed and gives him an evil smile as she pulls off her shirt.

Tony gulps.

* * *

**I'll let you decide what happens next :) Thank you all for the reviews and keep watch for One Year to Truly Know!**


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